The Path of the Ronin
by J.S.Mallory
Summary: A young Japanese man achieves his goal of following in his father's footsteps in serving Renraku. But as his training completes, he has a crisis of faith in the corporation and must decide on a new path.


August 12, 2057

Kimura Shitoki awoke to the sunshine on his face. He winced as the bright light tried to convince his eyes to close once again. He rolled over in his bed to get away from the burning light and saw his alarm clock on the table beside his bed. It displayed a time of 9:17 and Shitoki was immediately awake. For some reason his father had let him sleep in this morning. He shot out of bed and hurriedly tried to dress himself. He was already over an hour behind schedule on his morning chores.

He stood in front of the mirror in order to make himself look presentable. Shitoki was a handsome Japanese man, with an athletic build. He took pride in his physique, as he worked very hard at it in his free time. He enjoyed his martial arts and weight training, as they helped him relieve tension and they'd helped him in more than one fight at school over the years.

He charged down the stairs of his family's residence, taking two stairs at a time. He landed at the bottom of the stairs and looked around the kitchen, baffled to find that it was immaculate.

"Father?" Shitoki asked as he swept the kitchen with his eyes. His father was nowhere to be found. He walked around the house and the entire house had already been cleaned. Peering out the window of his father's meditation chamber, he saw his father sitting in the backyard, meditating.

Quietly, Shitoki made his way to the back door and stepped onto the grass of their backyard. Shitoki looked around. The morning had arrived with a splendor he hadn't seen in some time. The sky still held some of the colours of the dawn as the sun slowly rose into the sky. A cool breeze blew in off the ocean, carrying the songs of the birds into the Renraku corporate enclave in Sendai, Japan.

Shitoki waited patiently for a couple minutes before his father spoke, without opening his eyes.

"Happy Birthday, son."

In his haste to ready himself for the morning, he had forgotten that today was his 18th birthday. "Thank you, father."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough that I overslept," Shitoki said.

"Think nothing of it. It may be the last chance you get for some time."

Shitoki gave his father a quizzical look, even though his father's eyes were still closed and could not see it. "Why is that?"

Shitoki's father opened his eyes and smiled. He stood up and reached into his pocket. He produced a piece of paper and handed it to his son, smiling the whole time.

The eager Shitoki unfolded the paper and read the handwritten letter. His application for admission into the Red Samurai had been accepted.

"Congratulations, son. You made the grade," Shitoki's father said. Kimura Yamana embraced his son and said, "I'm proud of you."

Shitoki was beaming. He couldn't believe that he would get to follow in his father's footsteps and serve in the Samurai.

"To celebrate the occasion, I have a special gift for you, Shitoki."

Yamana led his son inside their home and stepped into the kitchen. He retrieved a large box from behind the fridge and placed it on the table. He motioned for Shitoki to open the box and stepped back.

Shitoki released the clasps on the side of the box and carefully opened it. A Renraku security uniform sat on top of the contents. He smiled as he lifted it up and ran his thumb over the corporate logo. He looked back and the box and his mouth opened in awe as he saw the remainder of the contents. A brand new Daisho, set into the box gleamed up at him. He set the uniform down and ran his hand along the polished scabbard of the katana.

"The blades of the two swords will be sharpened upon your completion of the training," Yamana said.

Shitoki was at a loss for words. He grasped the hilt of the wakazashi and lifted it from the box. He pulled the short sword from its scabbard and admired the smooth blade. At the base of the blade, he saw three words engraved by the hilt.

"Liege, Loyalty, Life..." Shitoki read aloud.

"They are governing principles for the Samurai. Remember these and you will have a full life."

"Thank you!" Shitoki didn't know what else to say. He was speechless.

"You had better pack...we need to get you off to Chiba soon, since training will begin in a few days."

Shitoki smiled and nodded before bolting upstairs and began preparing to pursue his dream.

August 15, 2057

Shitoki arrived at the Chiba training camp with a smile on his face. He had taken the train from Sendai, since his father had been recalled to his post and had been unable to drive him.

A Red Samurai stood before the entrance and ordered Shitoki to stop and present documentation before he'd let him get close to the camp. He presented the soldier with his acceptance letter and Renraku residency form. He stood nervously as the soldier scrutinized the documents heavily before handing them back and directing him to the enrollment office.

The guard at the enrollment office double-checked Shitoki's papers before scanning the manifest for his name. "Kimura Shitoki, you are in bunkhouse five. Place your belongings into your bunk, acquaint yourself to your team members and report for training in one half hour."

"Yes, sir," Shitoki said while saluting, before finding his bunkhouse.

He stepped inside the cramped bunkhouse and saw four others already unpacking. They all looked up at the newcomer, as he bowed to all of them and made his way to his bunk.

Shitoki was part way through loading up his footlocker when he felt someone standing nearby. Peering over his shoulder, he saw one of his team mates waiting patiently for an introduction.

Shitoki stood up and offered his hand. "I'm Kimura Shitoki."

"Ryuzoji Tatsuo," the eager soldier said. "I hear you're the son of a famous Red Samurai..."

Shitoki chuckled. "I don't know about famous, but my father is a member of the Samurai, yes."

"That's really cool...is that why you're here?"

"I'm here to follow in my father's footsteps, if that's what you mean."

"What's your specialty?" a new voice asked.

Shitoki turned to see an older man, already dressed in the uniform of a Renraku soldier.

Shitoki straightened his posture. "Combat, medicine and electronics, sir."

The soldier glared down at Shitoki, being a half foot taller than him. Suddenly his features softened and he laughed out loud. "It's OK Shitoki, I'm not your superior officer. I'm Miyoshi Kunari. I'm your assigned team captain."

"What about the uniform?" Shitoki asked.

"I'm already a member of Renraku security, but I wanted to move up. Due to my experience in the security team, they figured I'd work as a team leader."

"So, you are a superior officer then."

"No, I just coordinate our efforts. We're all equals on this team."

Shitoki looked over at a thin Japanese man who was fiddling with some gadgets on his bed. "Who's he?"

Kunari turned to see where Shitoki was looking. "Oh, that's Akito Nobuhada. He's a pretty quiet guy, but he seems straight enough. He's our demolitions and electronics guy."

"Who's our mage?" Shitoki asked. He had never met a magician before and was looking forward to finally meeting one.

"Over there," Kunari said, motioning to a bunk furthest toward the back of the room. Shitoki could see a slumped over body on the far side of the bed.

Shitoki excused himself and walked over to his fifth team member. "Excuse me, I'm Kimura Shitoki, the fifth member of your team," he said.

The figure stood up and turned toward him with a smile. "Hi, I'm Sayoshi Mioko."

Shitoki was a little surprised to see a woman on his team, but he quickly recovered and took her offered hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mioko. What... kind of magic can you do?"

"A little of everything, although I specialize in fire. I'm also a medic."

"That'd make two of us," Shitoki said with a lopsided grin.

"Great! I look forward to working with you," Mioko said, returning the smile.

The door to the bunkhouse burst open and an officer burst in. The five team members quickly snapped to attention.

"Outside now, recruits! Time to get to work!"

February 15, 2058

Shitoki was six months into his training. The Samurai that made up the trainers were relentless in their tactics. There was no schedule on the camp. You ate when they told you to, slept when they told you to. If it was snowing at 2 AM and they ordered you outside for aerobics training, there was to be no hesitation, no complaints. Just compliance. Shitoki considered dropping out of the program a few times, but all he had to do was look upon the Daisho his father had given him and three words engraved in the metal and his will would hold strong. He would not fail his father.

Training was always done in teams on mission simulations. Shitoki's team only failed miserably the first few times. First when Tatsuo triggered an alarm and the instructors riddled them with paint rounds. The second time, Nobuhada failed to disarm an explosive and the team was covered in a fluorescent dye that didn't wash off for weeks.

Combat training was a key piece of the training. There was some form of combat training every day. Firing ranges, martial arts training, Iaido and Kendo training and tactical analysis were all part of the regimen. Shitoki was near the top of his class in his Karate training, but he was repeatedly defeated by Mioko.

"Begin," the instructor ordered.

Shitoki threw a half hearted punch at his team mate, which was easily sidestepped and turned into an arm lock. Mioko quickly brought Shitoki down when he couldn't break her lock on his arm.

"Shitoki, what seems to be your problem?" the instructor asked.

"I can't bring myself to hit her, sir," Shitoki said.

"And they said chivalry is dead..." the instructor said with sarcasm, "I'm sure a female shadowrunner will thank you for that chivalry when she buries a knife in your chest. Get up and hit her."

Shitoki stood up and readied himself in front of Mioko once again. After they bowed, Shitoki launched into a kata, no longer pulling punches. Mioko parried and countered. The match between the two last several minutes, each reading the other's moves and blocking effectively. Shitoki scored a lucky blow on Mioko's chest knocking her on her back.

"Good. Treat each opponent equally, regardless of gender or race. Bring them down hard and make sure they stay there," the instructor said.

As if to punctuate the last statement, Shitoki felt Mioko's leg wrap around his chest as her heel planted behind his knee and she brought him down hard onto the ground.

"You're both dismissed. Go and get some rest. Report to mission simulation in an hour,"

Both being prone, Mioko and Shitoki replied, "Yes, sir" in unison before picking themselves up.

"It's about time you presented me with a challenge, Shitoki. You can hit pretty hard when you want to," Mioko said, rubbing her chest where Shitoki's punch landed.

"Hope I didn't cause any permanent damage..." Shitoki said.

Mioko chuckled. "First off, eyes up here. Secondly, you didn't hit me that hard. I'll be fine."

"You have quite a bit of power yourself. You've got a grip like a vice," Shitoki said with a laugh.

"I grew up the youngest child in a family of boys. I had to defend myself against my brothers."

"I have a younger brother. My mother died giving birth to him. Hatano was always quick-tempered. Father was hard on us, not because he was mad at us, but because he wanted us to grow up and understand the need for discipline. Hatano always saw father's criticisms as punishment for killing our mother. He ran away a year ago in protest to the way we lived," Shitoki said.

"Where is your brother now?"

"Seattle, I think. I don't know how he got there... he was only 16 when he left."

"Do you think he might have done something illegal to cross the ocean?"

"Likely... he does illegal things for a living now. We don't talk much anymore."

"Oh..."

The two walked in silence, until Tatsuo ran over to them. "Hey! How'd martial arts training go today?"

"Shitoki finally hit me today," Mioko said, joking.

"You hit a girl? You're so bad..." Tatsuo said, chuckling.

"You guys suck," Shitoki said, shaking his head. "You guys interested in some tea?"

"Not for me, thanks. Not much of a tea drinker..." Mioko said. "Later guys!"

"I'm up for it, if you don't mind me defeating you at Go while we do so."

"You're on, Tatsuo."

August 20, 2058

Shitoki woke up groggily and looked around the infirmary. His whole team was lying in bed, recovering from the surgery they had been required to take. Mioko had the fewest modifications, with the standard headware package, save for the cybernetic eyes. The rest of them had been given several cybernetic and bionetic implants to augment their already impressive abilities.

"How's everyone feeling?" the doctor asked.

"I feel cold..." Tatsuo said. He looked around as if he was seeing the world for the first time.

Shitoki was getting used to his new implants. He was able to control the optical zoom built into his eyes and switch between the various vision modes. He hadn't quite mastered the internal transducer that was implanted, but he had been able to "think a few commands" to Kunari the day before.

Nobuhada traced the outline of the induction pad in his right palm with a finger on his left hand, but said nothing, in typical Nobuhada style.

"We're fine, Doc," Kunari said. "We're still acclimating to our new abilities, but none of us are in any pain."

"Great. If you're well enough, you are to report for normal training by this afternoon," the doctor stated.

The doctor left the recovery area and the team members rose from their beds to put their uniforms back on.

As curtains were pulled across each bed, Shitoki did the same and started to get dressed.

"How are you coping, Mioko?" Shitoki asked Mioko via their new headware.

"I feel...weak."

"Weak? Are you not well? You should have said something to the doctor..."

"No, not physically. I...I'm having trouble with my magic. It feels like I'm moving through mud when I try to draw mana," Mioko explained.

Shitoki had no advice for her. He knew little about magic. "You should talk to your magic coach. Perhaps he can help you get through this?"

"Perhaps..."

Shitoki dressed in silence and threw back his curtain. He laced up his boots and said, "Mioko, if you ever need to talk, I'm always around. I may not comprehend your current obstacle, but I'll do my best to help you."

Shitoki didn't get a reply. He hoped he hadn't upset her, or made her feel uncomfortable, since they'd be working together for many years to come.

The rest of his team appeared from behind their curtains and made their way out of the infirmary. Shitoki filed in behind them and followed them back to the bunkhouse. As he neared the door, he heard Mioko's curtain open up behind him. He turned and looked back. She was lacing up her boots, but she looked up at Shitoki, smiled and mouthed the words "Thank you". Shitoki smiled and nodded before stepping through the doorway.

August 15, 2059

Shitoki stood at attention as names were called at the ceremony. His team had performed near the top of their class for the last year of their training. Mioko had acclimated to her new cyberware and had become a powerful magician through extensive training. Kunari had proved to be an accomplished leader, Nobuhada could disarm the most complicated explosives Shitoki had ever seen and Tatsuo had calmed himself down and matured into an awesome soldier.

"Kimura Shitoki..." the M.C. of the ceremony called.

Shitoki walked over to the podium and saluted Saito Kenshin, his sensei for the past two years. He returned the salute and presented Shitoki with the trademark armor of the Red Samurai.

"You are now one of the elite soldiers of Renraku. Congratulations, soldier. Your father would be proud."

"I know his is, sir. Thank you."

Shitoki took his armor and returned to his place in the rank and file.

"Sayoshi Mioko..."

Shitoki's team returned to their bunkhouse and celebrated as friends and team members on the completion of their training. Tatsuo immediately started to try on his new uniform, while Shitoki contented himself at looking at the armor and smiling. He had seen the armor hundreds of times before, when he father was at home, but now the armor was his to wear.

The door to the bunkhouse opened, revealing a corporate courier. "I have a package for Kimura Shitoki..."

"Right here," Shitoki said. He walked over and took the envelope the courier carried. The envelope carried the Renraku logo. Curious to see if it was his first posting, he anxiously tore open the letter and started reading.

_We, at Renraku, regret to inform you that your father, Kimura Yamana, was killed in the line of duty on the day of August 14th, 2059. Know that your father served the corporation with great distinction and that our thoughts are with you in these sad times. Renraku grief counselors are available, should you need them at this dark hour._

_Renraku is committed to your well being and we will ensure you are taken care of within our compassionate and worldwide family._

Shitoki read the letter as he walked toward his bunk. As he read, his steps became erratic and he struggled to keep his footing. All celebration in the bunkhouse stopped as they turned toward Shitoki, seeing the pain on his face.

"Shitoki?" Mioko asked, just before Shitoki passed out and collapsed to the floor.

August 20, 2059

Shitoki sat on the edge of a bed in the infirmary. He had dark circles under his eyes as he stared blankly at the wall. Renraku grief counselors had been visiting him every day, but their efforts failed to end his sleeplessness.

Through his training, he had been brought to realize that death was a definite possibility in his chosen line of work. His father had warned him all these years that there might be a day that he would never come home. Yet now that his father had died, it hadn't softened the blow at all. He had lost his parent, his best friend and his idol, all in one second.

Mioko and the rest of his team had tried to come to bring him back. Mioko would talk about goings on in the camp. Which team had been given their assignments and talking about the new batch of recruits. Tatsuo had challenged him to a game of Go, but his mind hadn't been focused and Tatsuo easily beat him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kimura?" a nurse asked.

"Yes?" Shitoki said, without emotion.

"You have an incoming call. He says he's your brother..."

Surprised, Shitoki turned to the nurse and said, "Thanks I'll take it in here, if I can have some privacy."

"Certainly, sir."

Shitoki turned to his telecomm as the call was transferred to his bedside. With a moment's hesitation, he pressed the button to open the connection.

There was a series of quiet tones before the image sprang to life, revealing his now 18 year old brother's face.

"Hatano?! You've changed quite a bit over the years."

"So have you, Shitoki. You're not looking so good, brother." Hatano said.

"Going through a bit of a rough patch right now..."

"I heard about Dad. I know how much he meant to you."

"Do you? I thought you couldn't understand him..." Shitoki said.

"I understood him fine. I just couldn't live with his rules. In hindsight, it wasn't as bad as I had thought. We had our differences, but Dad was a good man. It sucks that he had to die like he did."

"He died serving his employer. He'd be happy with that calling."

"Oh God, don't you start spewing that stuff at me now. Your employer isn't as pristine as Dad made it sound. I've unearthed some bad news about your employer that I have to share with you," Hatano said.

"Save it. I don't want you to try and dissuade me from my current course."

"Look, we've both lost our parents. I don't want to lose my brother as well."

Shitoki gave Hatano a hard look. Hatano's face didn't falter. In fact, he looked genuinely concerned. "What are you talking about?"

"I won't go into detail over the phone...I'm sending you a file that you have to promise me you will read. I think someone inside Renraku may have it in for our family..."

Shitoki looked at Hatano with doubt. But something in the back of Shitoki's mind nagged at him, telling him he should not ignore Hatano's warning. "How reliable is the evidence?"

"If it's fake, it's a darn good one. Watch your back, brother. If you need me, come to Seattle. I'll do what I can to help you."

The telecomm beeped, displaying a message "32 Mp Received" before Hatano hung up.

Shitoki looked at the message blinking on the screen for several minutes, debating whether to read it or not.

"I don't need sleep anymore anyways..." Shitoki said as he opened the file.

The first item in the list was a copy of a letter with Renraku letterhead. It outlined the contract for a black ops mission. The terms of the letter were all vague, referring to everything in the most open of terms. No names were mentioned, only referred to as "the target" and "the corporation". The mission was to assassinate one person, while making it look like a botched shadowrun.

The next piece of data was a video feed. Shitoki recognized the footage almost immediately. The building in the video was the building his father had been stationed at. The video camera showed the parking lot. Most of the day was uneventful, but the first thing Shitoki noticed was a chunk of time in the early evening being removed from the footage. It had been done very well, almost seamlessly. But, a pedestrian in the background blinked out of existence mid-stride in the spliced video.

As the evening of the video progressed, he saw what he had feared. His father was walking to his car, still in his armor, having just got off work. In the corner of the parking lot, shadows crept between the cars. Yamana noticed the figures and demanded that they show themselves. They answered with a hail of bullets that shattered the windows of Yamana's car, forcing him to duck and ready his weapon, which he had stripped down for safe transport home. The sub-machinegun was quickly prepared and Yamana stood up and returned fire. His armor stopped the bullets being fired at him and his trained aim took one of the runners down.

The alarm rose at the Renraku compound and the runners began a fighting withdrawal. One of the runners reached into a pocket and pulled out a small remote. He pressed the button and Yamana's car erupted in an explosive blast, killing his father and tossing him across the parking lot, out of the camera's line of sight. The run had gone down almost exactly as described on the previously read letter.

Shitoki was shaken by watching his father's death, but now he feared that the company his father had been loyal to all these years had had him killed for some unknown reason. The bomb had been planted on his father's car long before the team arrived. There was still one more document to read and Shitoki reluctantly pressed on.

The third file was the SIN data for his mother, Binoi Aki. The file was listed as being changed on August 1, 2059; only a couple weeks ago. The lineage section was highlighted and Shitoki scanned the data. In the current version, Aki's mother was listed as an ork. Someone had doctored her family tree.

Shitoki felt cold. To serve in the Red Samurai, you had to have a pure lineage. If this information made it to the Red Samurai, he would be expelled for being impure.

"Not expelled..." he thought to himself, "I know the Red Samurai training methods and strategies..."

They would silence him.

Shitoki forwarded the files to his private message box and rose from his bed. His mind raced frantically, trying to think of any reason anyone would do this to his family. His father was always well liked and Hatano had no reasons for lying to him.

He hurried out of the infirmary, sneaking past the nurse so she wouldn't see him leave. He had to get back to his bunk and think.

Shitoki crept to his bunk and looked at his Daisho, nestled into the box his father had given him. He sat cross-legged on his bunk and attempted to meditate.

"Father...please... give me guidance..."

_Our family name has been dirtied by a dishonorable man. Right this..._

Shitoki's eyes shot open and scanned the bunkhouse. His team mates were all lying in their beds, asleep. He switched his cybereyes to low light vision and saw no other people in the bunk.

Had that been his father?

He looked at the armor he had strived to obtain most of his life. His hands traced the Renraku logo on the armor and he closed his eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, his eyes opened and he hoisted his swords and strapped them to his waist. He packed what he could easily carry into a backpack and slung it over his shoulder. With one last look at his Red Samurai armor he turned toward the door and made his way towards the exit.

He felt the flat of a sword land on his shoulder. "Little late for training isn't it?" Kunari asked.

Shitoki lowered his head. He had hoped to avoid this...

"We suspected this might happen," Tatsuo said. "You can't just leave, Shitoki. You can't just abandon everything you've worked for because your father died."

"There...there are other reasons..." Shitoki said, still not facing his friends.

"Care to elaborate?" Nobuhada asked in his baritone voice. The man had been their near-silent partner all through training. It was a rule of thumb that if Nobuhada spoke, it was important.

"I...I can't say..."

"You'd better give us a reason, because our future is dependant on your actions. Please, help us understand," Mioko said.

Shitoki turned to face his team mates. "I got a call from my brother, Hatano. He had been investigating my father's death, since he was never the one to swallow the corporate line. He sent me evidence that my father was assassinated by someone inside Renraku and that they are working to have me killed as well."

Shitoki was greeted with collective silence.

"I don't normally believe in conspiracy theories and you guys know I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but someone is out to destroy my family's name," Shitoki finished.

Kunari spoke first. "Show us..."

Shitoki went over to the bunkhouse's telecomm unit and loaded up the files and let his team mates read it. Kunari stood behind Shitoki to ensure he didn't run while they appraised the evidence. Nobuhada took over watch duties while Kunari scanned the files for signs of being fake. When everyone had perused the info, they all turned toward Shitoki.

"There's a lot of circumstantial evidence in there," Kunari stated. "There's no ironclad proof that that memo and the run that killed your father are one and the same."

"I realize that, but something is nagging me that I can't afford to ignore this. I have to clear my family name and find the people who are after my family."

"What about your future with the Samurai?" Kunari asked.

"If this information about his mother's lineage makes it to Renraku, he doesn't have a future with the Samurai," Mioko stated.

Shitoki stood stoically, making eye contact with Kunari. Finally, his team captain returned his katana to his scabbard and offered his hand.

"You will be missed, my friend."

Shitoki shook Kunari's hand firmly. "As will you..."

Tatsuo and Nobuhada followed suit.

"When you get this cleared up, you owe me a game of Go," Tatsuo demanded.

"You're on," Shitoki said with a smirk.

Mioko walked up and threw her arms around Shitoki. "You be careful."

"I will."

"Stay in touch with me, or I'll come after you," she threatened.

"I promise."

Mioko let Shitoki go and he turned to the door. As he walked out, Kunari said from behind him, "We're still a team. As far as we all know, you snuck out while we slept."

Shitoki stepped into the cool evening air and quietly crept to the administrative building. Finding the front door unlocked, he stepped inside and found the day passes beneath the counter. He took a pass and the assorted stamps needed to make the pass look believable.

With his fake pass he approached the front gate. The guard present stopped him and Shitoki saluted while presenting the pass.

"I have permission to take an early train back to Sendai. I would like to get my father's effects in order before the funeral," Shitoki said.

The guard nodded, only giving the pass a short glance. "I understand, Mr. Kimura. My condolences on your loss. Your father was an excellent man."

"He was. Thank you."

"I hope someone catches the bastard that killed him," the guard stated.

Shitoki took the pass back and saluted again. "As do I." He turned away from the guard and disappeared into the darkness of the early morning.

Shitoki headed for Tokyo instead of Sendai and made his way to Tokyo harbor. Through the dockworkers, he found a freighter that was heading for Seattle and walked down the pier toward a member of the crew who was aiding the loading of their cargo.

"Excuse me..." Shitoki said as he approached the man.

The seaman looked at Shitoki and saw the swords attached at his hip. He immediately drew a pistol and leveled it at the approaching Samurai.

Shitoki's hands rose. "I don't want any trouble. I'm just looking for transit to Seattle."

The seaman didn't lower his pistol. "Oh yeah? What's with the swords then?"

"They're a family heirloom. Could you use an extra pair of hands? I don't have a lot of money..."

The seaman stayed where he was, saying nothing. He sized up Shitoki for a long while, making Shitoki worry that the ship would depart without the both of them.

"Is there a problem over here?"

Both men risked a glance up onto the deck of the ship. Another crewman leaned over the rail and saw the standoff.

"This guy says he'd like passage to Seattle, but he don't got any money. He's asked if we need an extra set of hands."

"What do you do, swordsman?" the crewman asked.

"I'm an electrician and a medic," Shitoki replied.

"Really?!" the crewman asked. "Come aboard. We'll talk."

The agitated seaman finally holstered his pistol and Shitoki walked up the ramp, onto the deck of the ship.

"The crew's a bit jumpy of late," the crewman said. "We've been at sea a long while and we had a bump with some pirates. They're kind of paranoid as a result."

"Ah..."

"We have some wiring that's been shorting out for the last few weeks we could really use a fixing for, considering they control the water tight doors in case we take on water..."

"Isn't that some kind of safety violation?" Shitoki asked.

"Yes it is, and we're due for inspection when we arrive in Seattle. Originally, we were going to conceal the problem, but now you can fix it. If you get this ship up to par, consider yourself paid in full."

"If you have some wire I can use, I'll get started the moment we leave Japan."

"You're not a criminal or anything are you?" the crewman asked.

"No, I'm not a criminal. Just a native looking for a change of scenery," Shitoki said with a winning smile.

"Ah, well your scenery for the next few weeks is going to be water as far as the eye can see," the man said with a chuckle.

September 7, 2059

Shitoki stepped onto solid ground for the first time in weeks. The captain thanked him for his work on their electrical problems before he left and wished him well. Shitoki walked down the pier and was surprised to see several orks and assorted other metahumans working away at the dock. He had seen an ork before, but never in a setting where they worked along side humans.

"My God, they're everywhere..." he said with distaste.

He made his way toward a payphone, making sure not to touch any of the non-humans, in case they carried some kind of communicable disease. He dialed a local number his brother had given him and left a quick message to let him know he was in Seattle.

Shitoki waited a couple hours before a sleek red sedan pulled up and the rear window rolled down, revealing Hatano's face.

"Hop in."

Shitoki opened the door and sat down in the back with Hatano. The driver pulled the car away from the curb and merged into traffic.

"It's been a while, brother," Hatano said with a smile.

"You seem to be doing alright," Shitoki said, examining the new car.

"You might say it's a company car," Hatano said. "Regardless, what do you need?"

"I'm not sure. This is my first time making it on my own, outside of the company."

Hatano reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. "Your corporate scrip will not help you in this city. Here's some nuyen. Find yourself a place to crash and then find a place of employment. Preferably in an industry your old friends won't think to look for you in."

"Thanks, Hatano. Anything you can recommend?"

"In terms of employment, not really. My line of work wouldn't suit you very well, I don't think. What do you want to do?"

"I want to hunt down our father's killers and the bastard that set this whole ball rolling."

Hatano turned and looked Shitoki in the eyes. "Are you insane? You escape their grip only for you to go charging back in? You are so outclassed; it'd be suicide for you to even consider what you're thinking."

"It's just something I have to do. I owe father too much to let someone get away with his murder."

Hatano sighed. "If you insist on following this ridiculous course of action, here's my suggestion: get yourself a place to live and find some kind of temporary employment to cover your expenses. Then go to Murphy's Law in the downtown core."

"What's Murphy's Law?"

"A little hole-in-the-wall establishment where they serve the best pizza in Seattle. It's a bit of a dive, but if you want a job that allows you to hunt down killers and conspirators while making cash, it's a good place to get noticed."

Shitoki shrugged. "I suppose it's worth a try. Thanks again, Hatano."

"You be careful. If you need anything, leave me a message. I'll get back to when I can."

Hatano knocked on the divider between himself and the driver and the car stopped. Shitoki moved to leave and Hatano said, "I'll keep my ear to the ground to see if anyone's got feelers out for ya, but you and I shouldn't spend a lot of time around each other. I have my own enemies that you don't want anything to do with."

Shitoki nodded and left the car. The car pulled away and Shitoki scanned the street. Just down the street was a coffin hotel. Shitoki slung his pack over his shoulder and went to check in.

January 25, 2060

Shitoki stepped into the Murphy's Law bar and took a look around. Hatano was correct in his description of the establishment. Everything seemed to be covered in a layer of grease, including the patrons. Doing his best to stifle his distaste, he made his way to the bar.

The bartender studied Shitoki briefly before walking up to him. "What can I get ya?"

"A beer and a slice, please," Shitoki said. He was adapting to North American life slowly but surely. He managed to find himself an apartment that wasn't too disgusting for fairly cheap and was currently working with a contracting company as an assistant electrician. He had enough money to get a membership at a local dojo to continue to hone his martial art abilities and was doing his best to stay in shape.

The bartender returned with a glass of beer and a plate with a large slice of pizza. "That'll be six nuyen, mac."

Shitoki placed a ten on the bar and told the bartender to keep the extra.

"Thanks!" The bartender said with a raised eyebrow as he slid the large tip into his pocket.

With a little hesitation, Shitoki took a bite of the greasy pizza, but found that Hatano was right. The pizza was the best he'd ever tasted. It allowed him to excuse the crappy beer he'd been given.

His generosity with the bartender hadn't gone unnoticed by the bar's patrons. Shitoki tried to enjoy his pizza, despite the smell of urine and body odor that lingered behind him, tipping him off that someone was hovering over him.

His barstool was spun around so he was face to face with a filthy ork, who smiled with yellowed teeth.

"Yer not from round here, are ya?" the ork slurred with breath that made Shitoki wonder if he had drank from a backed up toilet.

"What gave you that impression?" Shitoki asked, while chewing on his pizza.

"You might notta noticed that we don't have many Chinks in our neck of the woods."

"Technically, I'm a Jap, not a Chink. Now that you mention it, though, I hadn't noticed, but thanks for pointing that out."

"What are ya? Some kind of smartass?" the ork spat.

"Some kind, I guess," Shitoki said with a shrug. He showed little emotion to the ork. "At least I have a part of me that's smart."

The ork clenched his fist and three blades extended from his forearm. "Ya wanna die tonight, ya Jap?"

"Not particularly, but it would take more than a drunken ork to make me fear for my life."

Another ork rose from his chair and moved in behind the first.

Shitoki started to laugh. "Two? Two drunken orks is the most you can muster?"

The ork lunged forward with his spurs and Shitoki was already moving. He grabbed the ork's attacking arm and twisted at the elbow, dislocating the joint and flipping the ork onto the ground. The second ork charged in and Shitoki delivered a hard blow to the side of the ork's knee. The bone lacing he'd had implanted at Chiba made his leg as hard as a piston. The knee let off a loud crack before bending sideways and sending the ork howling to the ground. A third ork attacked from somewhere in the bar, but gave himself away by bellowing like an ox as he charged. Shitoki spun around the charging ork and kicked the rear of the ork's knee while guiding him downward. The new attacker's head slammed off the bar with a hollow crunch and he went down on top of the ork with the dislocated arm. Shitoki picked up his plate of pizza and crappy beer and moved a couple stools down before settling in and continuing his meal, as if nothing had happened.

The rest of the bar went back to their drinks and wisely decided to leave the newcomer alone.

Shitoki finished his pizza and beer and rose to leave when the bartender stopped him.

"That bloody ork's been causing problems here for some time. Glad to see some one give him a beating finally."

"Glad to be of service," Shitoki said.

"Listen, a gentleman was in here when you thrashed those guys and wanted me to give you this."

Shitoki took the business card the man offered him. The front read: "If you're looking for work, call me. – Zeyda". Shitoki turned the card over to reveal an LTG number.

"Thanks."

The bartender nodded and returned to work. Shitoki left Murphy's Law, walked to the nearest payphone and dialed the number.

"Hello, Shitoki," the voice answered.

"How do you know my name?" Shitoki asked.

"I wouldn't be in the business I'm in if I didn't do my homework. My name is Zeyda. I am a fixer for shadowrunners."

"Shadowrunners?! What makes you think I want to become a runner?"

"You handled yourself well in there. You were composed and not intimidated in the slightest. You have the potential to be a great runner. As for why, I know about you. I told you that I do my homework. You're a former employee of Renraku, whose father was killed in murky circumstances, yes?"

"Where did you learn all this?" Shitoki asked.

"I can't reveal my sources. But, you hope to find answers to your father's death. I'm quite sure those answers lie in the shadows. Maybe not in the shadows of Seattle, but it's a place to start. You can make money to finance your search, hone your already impressive skills and hopefully find the answers you want in the end. It's better than wiring houses for the rich..."

The depth of the man's knowledge unsettled Shitoki, but he did raise some valid points. If it brought him closer to his father's killers, it served him well. He had known the road would not be easy.

"Mr. Zeyda, I accept your offer."

Zeyda laughed. "It's not Mr. Zeyda...just Zeyda. If you need weapons and equipment, I can supply them for a price. And you'll need an alias. Running with your real name just leads to problems."

"Alright. Oh... how did you know it was me calling?" Shitoki asked.

"Because I can see you right now. Call me at this number when you're ready."

Zeyda hung up and Shitoki looked around the street and saw nobody watching him.

March 12, 2061

Shitoki had trained for his new job and had acquired a handful of weapons and armor through his brother, who conceded that he had joined the Yakuza shortly after his arrival in Seattle. It was shortly before his first job as a shadowrunner and as he prepared for his new job, he remembered going through all these rituals at training in Chiba.

Shitoki sat down in front of his telecomm and typed a short message:

_Hope things are well. I'm settling into my new lifestyle alright. The hunt will start very soon. I miss you all. – Shitoki._

He sent the message to his old teammates at Renraku and went out the door.

Later...

Shitoki flopped into his chair at home after the run. It had been a trivial mission of hijacking a truck and delivering it to someone else, but he had a couple thousand in his pocket for the job. He noticed a light blinking on his telecomm and he opened his mailbox to find four messages. The first three were all the same:

_The message you sent to Tatsuo/Kunari/Nobuhada could not be delivered._

The last message was also short, but to the point.

_Renraku Arcology, first floor, Edo Sushi, table 6. Noon tomorrow._

Shitoki was a little uneasy about the letter. It was so informal. He planned on going, but he wouldn't go unprepared.

March 13, 2061

Shitoki walked through the bustling lower floors of the arcology. The building was a sight to behold. He knew that the building had had some serious problems not long ago, but there were no signs of those problems anymore. The grandeur of the huge center was breathtaking, with no expense spared to making the building calming to customers. The level of security in the place was extreme, however. Whatever happened there must have been major.

He spotted the sushi restaurant and scanned the facility for anything unusual. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. The patrons all laughed and talked as they enjoyed their meals and other than the obvious security personnel, no one seemed to be carrying firearms.

Shitoki had blended in with his new occupation quite well. He was dressed down in jeans and T-shirt, which showed off his new tattoos on his left forearm and one on his right cheekbone, below his eye. He carried his jacket, since the climate control in the place was perfect, but outside was far from it.

Cautiously, he walked over to the table he was told to wait at. He had expected to see patrons sitting at the table, but a small "reserved" sign sat on the table. He sat down at the edge of his seat and scanned the area repeatedly to see if anyone was approaching.

"I...it really is you!" a voice said from behind.

Shitoki spun around to see Mioko standing above him in Renraku security armor. He stood up and Mioko threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. When she finally let him go she moved over to sit opposite him at the small table.

"My goodness, how you've changed..." Mioko said, examining Shitoki. "You look good."

"You're looking pretty good yourself," Shitoki said. "How have you been doing?"

Mioko's smile faltered slightly. "I...uh...I'm doing OK..."

"You can't fool me, Mioko. I know you too well. What's wrong?"

Mioko looked away, casting her eyes to the floor. Shitoki noticed a jagged scar running along her cheek on the left side of her face. He reached over and ran his hand over the scar. "My God... what happened?"

She reached up and lightly removed Shitoki's hand from her face. "Please don't..."

Shitoki was taken aback further as Mioko pulled his hand away, as he realized her hand was no longer flesh and bone, but cybernetic. Her hand was cold and didn't feel like a part of her.

"Mioko... your hand..."

She looked up at him and her eyes were filling with tears. "You up for a walk?"

Shitoki nodded and they rose from the table and waded through the large ocean of patrons, to the main doors leading outside.

The two old friends walked around the cultivated grounds surrounding the Arcology. Finding an isolated bench, Mioko sat down and motioned for Shitoki to sit beside her.

"Have you tried contacting any of the others?" Mioko asked.

Shitoki nodded. "All my messages got returned to me."

"When you left Sensei Saito flipped. He vowed that he would catch you if it was the last thing he did. It infuriated him that they have a corporate ronin on their hands."

Shitoki nodded. He liked Sensei Saito, but he understood his master's frustrations.

"We spent a few extra months in training, incorporating a new fifth member into our team to fill the gap you left. He was an idiot..."

Shitoki chuckled.

"When we were finished training, we were about to be assigned to some holdings in Virginia, when the Arcology lockdown occurred. Our assignment was changed and we were shipped here to aid in the reclamation of the Arcology."

Mioko fell silent and studied the cracks in the interlocking stone pathway.

"The things in the building... horrible things. It was never ending floors of machines, designed for death..."

Shitoki sat in stunned silence.

"Something was in the system and it was taking things over...even people. Children... Deus was what they called it... The new guy, Ichiro... he triggered some kind of alarm and these...these... machines... they came from everywhere. Ichiro was killed almost instantly by gunfire. Nobuhada and Tatsuo were also cut down in the attacks. We destroyed the monsters, but they kept getting reinforcements. How do you kill something that feels no pain or fear?"

"Mioko..."

"We were almost out when we were ambushed. Kunari pushed me through the stairwell that led down to the areas we controlled. I heard him screaming in pain, so I ran back up to help him but an explosion killed him and blew off my arm from the elbow down."

Shitoki put his arm around Mioko and held her close. She was shaking as she relived the events.

"Our friends are dead, Shitoki. I've been through so much...therapy. I've been removed from the ranks of the Samurai and placed as a senior security officer here. How can they put me in a place were I saw so much death?"

The two sat in silent mourning for their friends, looking up at the monolith that had claimed them.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Mioko pleaded.

"Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

"You. What have you been doing with yourself?"

"I've been trying to piece together my life again. It's been a unique experience, these past few years."

"I bet," Mioko said.

"My affairs are in order enough that I can actually start hunting my father's killers now."

"What are you doing now, anyways?"

"I'm a shadowrunner," Shitoki stated.

Mioko pulled away from him and studied his face. "You're what?"

"I'm a shadowrunner. It's the best way for me to track down those responsible."

"But, that would put the two of us in the position of being enemies..." Mioko said.

"No it doesn't. I will not run versus the Samurai. I have no loyalties to Renraku after what they've done to my father and to...you."

"It isn't Renraku's fault that our friends died..."

"But they could reassign you to another location, but instead they station you here. It makes me wonder whether you're being punished for your friendship with me."

Mioko said nothing. She studied Shitoki's inner arm and read the kanji that ran up the length of his forearm. "What do the tattoos on your inner arm signify?"

"My father was a practitioner of Bushido. In tribute to him, I've chosen the same path. I burned the principles on my arm so I don't forget them. Justice and honesty, contempt of death, self-control, sympathy for all, politeness and respect for etiquette, sincerity and trusting one's word, loyalty to my superiors, defend the family name...the last one is the largest of the eight as it's my driving motivation."

"And this one?" Mioko said, touching the Japanese words on his cheekbone, "_Tenmou_? Heaven's Vengeance?"

"That's my 'street name'. Only a select few know my real name."

"My code name here is Phoenix. Due to my fire magic and the fact that I survived the... ordeal." Mioko said.

"New names for our new lives..."

Mioko's watch beeped and she cursed under her breath. "My break's over. I have to head back..."

They both rose from the bench and embraced once more. "I'm so glad you're back in my life. I was starting to feel alone..." Mioko said.

"You and I both," Shitoki said.

Mioko planted a brief kiss on Shitoki's cheek before pulling away and heading for the arcology. "Call me again soon...Tenmou..." Mioko said with a smile as she briefly turned toward him.

"Count on it, Phoenix..."

Reaching into his pocket, Shitoki pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slid them over his eyes. "Was Mioko always that attractive? How did I not notice before?" he asked himself. Pulling his jacket on to block out the wind, he made his way down the street in the bustling downtown of Seattle. He pulled a cellphone out of his jacket pocket and hit the speed dial button.

"Zeyda...what have you got for me?"

Shitoki listened as he faded into the crowd.


End file.
